Heimlich’s Heroes launches fundraising campaign

Heimlich Heroes, an educational nonprofit, is in the midst of its inaugural fundraising campaign.

The organization’s “Imagine…” campaign launched in mid-April with a goal of raising $75,000 in 2016.

The free program trains children in grades 2-8 how to recognize, respond and prevent a choking emergency.

“Demand for our program has skyrocketed,” said program manager Terri Huntington. “Our goal is to keep it free, so that anyone, anywhere can learn how to save a life.”

Heimlich Heroes provides all of the training materials needed to complete the program, including 42-inch training dolls for hands on practice. It costs the organization $20 per student to run the program. Last year more than 17,000 kids were trained.

Heimlich’s Heroes takes its name from Dr. Henry Heimlich, a thoracic surgeon and medical innovator, best known for developing the Heimlich Maneuver to save the lives of choking victims. He has been based in Cincinnati for the past 30 years.